


Lost Boys

by kagstsukki (SkylarkOfTheMoon)



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, MidoAka month 2k15, childhood AU, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-11 10:01:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5623312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkylarkOfTheMoon/pseuds/kagstsukki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Most people enter through the door.” </p><p>“I’m not most people.” </p><p>crossposted from my tumblr</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost Boys

The only source of light in the room comes from the small bedside lamp, illuminating the seven-year old boy sitting on the bed with a large picture book in his lap. Next to him is a frog plushie he named Kerosuke which he squeezes tightly to his side. He flips the page and is greeted by a picture of a boy dressed entirely in green, flying through London at night. He traces the trail of glitter which allows the boy to fly and wonders where he can get them so that he could fly to London too.

Shintarō knows that it’s way past his bedtime, yet he does not stop, unafraid of being caught by his parents who are busy taking care of his new baby sister to check up on him like they always did.

So he entertains himself with picture books and fairytales, reading about adventures he can never have, about princes and magicians and superheroes he can never be.

A child’s cry breaks the silence. Shintarō tenses, hands ready to turn off the lamp and hide the book in a moment’s notice. He hears footsteps, hushed voices and a few seconds later his sister’s wails turn into soft whimpers before it’s silent once again.

He gives a relieved sigh and turns back to the book when a knocking on his window startles him. The first thought that enters his mind is that it’s Peter Pan and that he’s come to take Shintarō on an adventure, but when he opens the window and sees the visitor, he thinks, _‘Peter Pan doesn’t have red eyes.’_

“You look disappointed to see me,” Seijūrō says from his perch atop the tree branch just outside Shintarō’s window. His eyes spot the book on Shintarō’s bed and he smiles in amusement. “Were you expecting Peter Pan?”

Sometimes Shintarō hated how perceptive Seijūrō can be.

“What are you doing here?” he asks.

“I came to see you. May I come in?” Shintarō holds out his hands and helps Seijūrō climb inside his room. “Sorry for the intrusion.”

“Most people enter through the door,” Shintarō says pointedly.

“I’m not most people,” Seijūrō retorts and Shintarō can’t help but agree with him. He takes a seat on his bed and picks up Kerosuke, poking at the huge smile stitched on its face.

Shintarō snatches it away from him and hugs Kerosuke against his chest. Seijūrō almost laughs at the protective look on his friend’s face if not for his question,“ So what are you doing here, Seijūrō?”

Seijūrō drops his gaze to the picture book and turns the pages distractedly. “Like I said, I came to see you.”

Shintarō frowns at him. The redhead is not the only one who is perceptive. He strides over to him and pulls his hands away from the book. Just like he expected, there are red marks on Seijūrō’s palms. He touches one of them and Seijūrō flinches, closing his fists.

“Was it him again?”

Seijūrō doesn’t look up at him, but he gives a nod. “I missed some notes during violin practice today. He hit me for every single mistake.”

Shintarō wants to say something, but he doesn’t know what. He doesn’t understand why his friend has to be punished for making mistakes. He doesn’t understand why, at the age of six, Seijūrō is expected to act beyond his years. They are just kids for crying out loud. Not some sort of robot that can carry out orders flawlessly.

Seijūrō doesn’t need to look up to see the emotions flashing on Shintarō’s face. It comforts him to know that someone in this world still cared for him, not out of obligation like his family and the staff back at the mansion, but unconditionally without asking for anything in return.

“Can I stay here for a while?” he asks.

“As if I’m letting you leave anyway,” Shintarō answers, which makes him smile.

The two of them try to fit together on the tiny bed. Shintarō scoots closer to the edge to give him more space, but Seijūrō would have none of that. He yanks Shintarō towards him until their foreheads touch and pulls up the covers over them both.

“It’s warmer this way,” he explains, burrowing closer to the green-haired boy. He winces when something pokes him and he reaches down to pull out the picture book which is lying in between them.

“Shintarō, when are you going to grow up and read actual novels?”

“When they start having pictures and pop-ups.” He grabs the book and places it on the bedside table before flicking off the lamp. The room floods with darkness and he feels Seijūrō shift against him. He looks down and meets his ruby-colored eyes which contrasts sharply against the dark.

“Do you really believe in Neverland?” Seijūrō asks softly.

“No. It’s just a fairytale,” he says. He feels Seijūrō’s shoulder slump and his eyes take a disappointed look to them. Shintarō immediately adds,“ Neverland is not real, but there are other places out there. Places which are actually real and exists beyond the books. Someday I’ll go find them and maybe I’ll have my own Neverland.”

“Take me with you?” Seijūrō asks hopefully.

“Idiot,” Shintarō reprimands, wrapping an arm around him. “As if I’m leaving you behind.”


End file.
